Everyday Beans Podcast - Mostly About Coffee and Other Stuff

Send us a textIn this episode, I share my ambitious resolution for the year: mastering coffee through intentional failure and relentless experimentation. I open up about what this journey means to me—pushing past comfort zones, questioning the status quo of specialty coffee, and discovering why certain coffees, roast degrees, and brewing methods work the way they do. I talk about my desire to understand everything from light roasts to dark roasts, from Brazilian coffees to exotic processing methods, and from basic Mr. Coffee machines to high-end ZP6 grinders. This isn't just about acquiring knowledge; it's about tearing down what I think I know and starting fresh with curiosity and wonder.By listening to this episode, you'll gain insight into what it means to pursue coffee mastery as a personal challenge rather than a destination. I discuss the role failure plays in learning, why I want to test recipes for AeroPress and pour-overs, how I plan to use my palate and refractometer to push extraction boundaries, and why I'm inviting you into this journey. You'll learn about my plans to experiment with roast profiles, understand climate change's impact on coffee, question specialty coffee rules, and ultimately help you think differently about your own coffee routine. This is about breaking free from the rinse-and-repeat cycle and truly understanding the logic behind every brewing decision we make.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

Send us a textIn this episode, I dive deep into the engineering and geometry behind pour-over coffee brewers, drawing from my background as a drainage engineer to explain how water flow impacts extraction. I break down the science behind popular brewers like the Hario V60, Fellow Stagg, Deep 27, and the UFO dripper, examining how their cone angles and design features manipulate water flow to create different extraction profiles. I demonstrate how steep angles create faster flow rates, while gentler slopes allow for longer contact time between water and coffee grounds, ultimately affecting the flavor in your cup.Listeners will learn how to think critically about their brewing equipment by understanding the relationship between brewer geometry, grind size, and extraction percentage. I share real-world experiments, including surprising results from using extremely coarse grinds on slow-draining brewers and explain why certain devices require specific grind adjustments. Whether you're using a V60, a flat-bottom dripper, or something more exotic, you'll walk away with a framework for mastering your brewing device by understanding its fundamental design principles rather than just following recipes.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

Send us a textIn this episode, I get real about something we don't talk about enough in specialty coffee: not every coffee is going to be special to you, and that's perfectly okay. I share my experience with a lightly roasted Kenyan coffee that smells divine but I just don't like, and reflect on a customer review that said my Brazilian coffee "wasn't special enough." I dive into why coffee preference is entirely personal and subjective, and why once a bag of coffee leaves a roaster's hands, it becomes yours to judge however you want.I also open up about my own coffee preferences—I'm a medium to dark roast person who craves acidity balanced with sweetness, and I'm not big on natural process coffees or overly fruit-forward profiles. I explain my complicated relationship with Brazilian coffee: it's the most important coffee for introducing people to specialty, and it's my best seller, but I can only drink it for a couple hundred grams before I need something else. You'll learn why being honest with yourself about what you like and don't like is the most important skill in coffee, and I'll encourage you to write down your preferences so you can understand your palate better. This episode is about embracing your taste, welcoming feedback, and understanding that growth comes from knowing exactly why you like what you like.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

Send us a textIn this reflective episode, I share my birthday thoughts about what really matters in the coffee journey. I talk about how I've accumulated so much coffee gear and knowledge about brewing techniques, but I realized I've been missing the forest for the trees. I discuss how we often get caught up in the latest grinders, brewers, water recipes, and extraction methods, but forget to truly understand the coffee itself. I use the Hario V60 Switch as an example of how even when trying to talk about coffee fundamentals, we slip into gear talk. I emphasize the importance of knowing which coffee varieties we actually like, understanding why certain flavor profiles resonate with us or turn us off, and learning how to make simple adjustments to bring out the best in each coffee.By listening to this episode, you'll gain a new perspective on your coffee journey and learn why focusing on understanding the actual coffee—its origins, varieties, roast levels, and flavor profiles—matters more than accumulating equipment. I'll help you think critically about your own coffee preferences and inspire you to develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the coffee you brew every day, regardless of which method or equipment you use.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

Send us a textIn this episode, I dive deep into the world's most controversial brewing device - the AeroPress. I share my honest journey from initially thinking it was garbage to learning to appreciate its unique capabilities. I discuss a thoughtful comment from a listener about AeroPress techniques, exploring both the traditional and inverted brewing methods. I break down the common leakage issues with paper filters versus metal filters, and why I've come to prefer the metal filter for its consistency and reusability.I also explore how the AeroPress community is beautifully divided in their opinions and techniques, which actually drives innovation and improvement in brewing methods. I discuss how manufacturers like AeroPress and Prismo have created accessories to solve common brewing challenges, showing how user feedback shapes product development. By listening to this episode, you'll gain insights into different AeroPress brewing techniques, understand why this device sparks such passionate debates, and learn how to approach coffee brewing with an open mind focused on personal preference and continuous improvement.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans